Beau Rivage spends millions to refresh its buffet with bright look and 30 new dishes
A multi-million dollar remake of The Buffet at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino debuts at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day with a new look and more than 30 new dishes on the menu.
The brightness of the area and several new action stations are what will wow customers, said Evans Tedford, director of food and beverage.
While the buffet temporarily moved to an area near the sports bar, crews remodeled the original space in the lobby and off the casino floor.
Most everything is new, from the waves of serving counters down to the new carpeting and wood plank flooring. The decor is contemporary, with coastal colors that play off the original brick, tile and rich copper accents.
Relocating the salad station provided a more open floor plan that improves the flow of the dining room. Signs over each section let customers know they are at the loaded biscuit station or the new ice cream station.
Even the size of the serving pans was adjusted. The colorful new pans are smaller and have lids to keep food hot and fresh.
Thanksgiving bounty
“We’re thankful to be able to reopen the buffet in time for the holidays and provide an updated experience for our guests and their families,” said Kristian Wade, executive chef at the Beau Rivage.
The first customers are welcomed at Thanksgiving brunch from 8-10 a.m., priced at $29.99 for adults and $19.99 for kids.
The Thanksgiving bounty continues with dinner from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., featuring turkey, prime rib, ham, seafood gumbo, cornbread dressing, oysters Rockefeller, stuffed crabs and a big variety of sides and desserts. Dinner is $42.99 for adults and $26.99 for children. Kids under age 5 eat free on Thanksgiving.
Live cooking adds to the experience
Among the biggest changes is the addition of live cooking stations that make the buffet custom to each customer’s taste.
A new waffle station and omelets made to order are among the specialties for breakfast.
The new Mongolian Grill that turns out customized Asian entrees, and the buffet has create your own pasta station, the carving board and the brick oven station with gourmet pizza.
For an unforgettable end to the buffet, the Beau Rivage introduces its dessert station with cooked-to-order flaming bananas Foster and fresh beignets.
What else is new
The focus of the buffet is providing a big variety of food to sample for locals or visitors wanting Coast seafood, a taste of Southern favorites, healthy and vegan choices and decadent desserts.
The refresh offers guests new food options, Wade said, including royal reds, Cajun shrimp Alfredo, deep fried Cajun catfish and other coastal cuisine. Back on the menu are Southern favorites like seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee and jambalaya.
Saturday is seafood night, when the buffet will be loaded with fried catfish, crab cakes, shrimp, fried oysters, oysters Rockefeller, fruits of the sea, lobster ravioli, stuffed crab and more.
People want variety and self-serve on a buffet and two new beverage stations let customers see all 25 choices of sodas, juices, teas and get their own refill with the same or another selection.
For adult beverages are a full bar, upgraded wine menu served by the glass or bottle and special cocktails with seasonal daiquiris.
The buffet is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. Weekend brunch is from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is $29.99 Monday through Thursday and $32.99 Friday through Sunday.
More upgrades on the way
The buffet is the latest of millions of dollars in recent improvements over the last two years that saw the redo of the 1,700 guest rooms at the Beau Rivage, new and redesigned restaurants and new attractions like The Buffalo Room filled with Buffalo slot machines.
The new Maceeo store just opened in the Promenade at the Beau Rivage, bringing a new level of men’s fashion to the Coast. The brand is designed in Paris, made with innovative Italian fabrics and the custom tailored fit is backed by a mathematical algorithm written by an MIT engineer, according to the company website.
Still in progress is a new poker room, and for those who love to spread out, 12 regular hotel rooms are being converted into six suites.
